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  • Checklist for buying mapping data in the UK

    Buying mapping data can be daunting. Here's a practical buying checklist that helps you keep costs, compliance, and delivery aligned from day one.  

  • Google Maps vs Ordnance Survey - which is better?

    Comparing Google Maps and Ordnance Survey for UK business use: exploring licensing complexity, data ownership, cost predictability, customisation options, and long-term risk.

  • OS OpenData vs OS Licensed Data - is there a difference?

    A guide to OS OpenData vs OS licensed data: accuracy and detail, attribution, update frequency, commercial restrictions, and the most common use cases.

  • How much does UK mapping data cost?

    A guide to UK mapping data costs: Ordnance Survey vs third-party suppliers, per-user vs enterprise pricing, web tiles vs raw GIS data, API models, and indicative budget ranges.

  • Do I need a licence to use Ordnance Survey maps?

    Find out when a licence is needed, what OS OpenData covers, internal vs external use, and five common business mistakes.

  • What is a mapping licence?

    A practical guide to UK mapping licences - when you need one, OS vs commercial providers, common licence types, pricing factors, and key risks.

  • Promap Alternatives for OS MasterMap and mapping

    A guide to UK mapping tools - what to consider, what alternatives are there, what do they offer, what to look for and so on.

  • What is OS MasterMap® and how is it used?

    OS MasterMap is one of Ordnance Survey’s most detailed digital datasets and offers the authoritative, highly accurate view of Great Britain with verified details of more than 500 million real-world features across the physical landscape.

  • OS MasterMap vs OS Maps: what’s the difference?

    OS MasterMap and OS Maps do different jobs. The difference matters because the right choice depends on what you’re trying to do.

  • What is OS VectorMap and when should you use it?

    OS VectorMap sits between highly detailed geographic data and straightforward map views - giving you mapping that’s easier to work with, but still offering useful structure and context.

  • What map do I need for Planning permission in the UK? 

    If you are applying for planning permission in the UK, then you’ll need a location plan - and you may also need a site plan, sometimes called a block plan.

  • Location Plan vs Block Plan: what’s the difference?

    They’re linked, but they do different jobs. Find out which one you need in our helpful explainer.

  • Step-by-step, how to get a Planning map for your property

    Getting a planning map for your property is simple. In most cases, you’re looking for a location plan, a site/block plan, or both.

  • What map scale is required for Planning Applications?

    When you’re preparing a planning application, the right map scale matters. In most cases, you’ll need a location plan and, depending on the application, a site plan too - also known as a block plan.

  • How to draw a site boundary for planning permission

    One of the most important steps in preparing a planning application is drawing the site boundary correctly. In simple terms, you have to show the land your application actually relates to.

  • Do I need an OS Map for Planning permission?

    When you’re applying for planning permission, you’ll usually need an Ordnance Survey-based map because planning authorities need a clear, accurate way to identify the site your application relates to.

  • What is a red line boundary in Planning?

    A red line boundary is the line drawn on a planning location plan to show the main site covered by a planning application.

  • How much does a Planning map cost in the UK?

    A planning map doesn’t have one fixed national price. It depends on how you are getting it, what you need, and whether you are buying the map on its own or using a planning application service that bundles mapping into a wider charge.

  • Buy a Planning map online: what you need to know

    Buying a planning map online is usually straightforward - but it helps to know what you need before you start.

  • Planning map requirements for house extensions

    What planning is needed for house extensions. Find out here

  • Planning map requirements for loft conversions

    Loft conversions are a popular home improvement. While the rules can be confusing an application for permission will usually need a location plan and, in many cases, a site plan or block plan.

  • Planning maps for change of use applications

    If you’re making a change of use planning application, you’ll usually need a location plan and, in many cases, a site plan or block plan as well.

  • Planning maps for commercial developments

    Commercial developments need planning maps. Any authorities involved in the approvals process will expect these to be sourced and presented professionally. We can help.

  • What map do I need for permitted development?

    If your project falls under permitted development, then you don’t usually need a planning application map in quite the same way you would for a full planning application.

  • What is a Utility Search report?

    A utility search report helps identify assets in and around a site, bringing together records from utility companies so we can understand what services may be present before work begins.

  • What is OS AddressBase and how does it work?

    In simple terms, it’s a database that helps people to identify, locate and manage addresses using authoritative geographic information – but it’s far more than a list of postal addresses.

  • What is a UPRN and why does it matter?

    A UPRN is a Unique Property Reference Number, which in simple terms, is a unique identifier for an addressable location.

  • Can you use Google Maps for planning applications?

    Google Maps can be useful for looking at a site, checking nearby roads, or sharing a quick visual reference. But when you submit a planning application, the local planning authority will expect a properly scaled, up-to-date, licensed plan.

  • Utility Search vs Utility Survey: What's the difference?

    A utility search and a utility survey both help you understand what services may affect a site. The difference is how that information is gathered.

  • Aerial photography vs satellite imagery

    Aerial photography and satellite imagery both show the Earth from above, but they’re not the same thing.

  • What is a Mapping API?

    A mapping API is a way for software to access maps, location data or geospatial services directly from another system. API stands for Application Programming Interface.

  • What is LIDAR?

    LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging – it’s highly detailed height and surface data, which has been captured using laser scanning.

  • Flood Risk maps explained

    Flood risk maps help us understand where land or property may be more likely to flood. They are used by homeowners, developers, planning consultants, insurers, surveyors and public-sector teams to understand whether flooding could affect a site before decisions are made.

  • How do property developers use aerial mapping for site acquisition?

    Before acquiring a site, property developers want to understand as much as they about its address, its value, and its planning history. They need to understand the land itself: how it sits, what surrounds it, how it is accessed, and whether anything visible from above could affect viability.

  • GIS vs CAD: What's the difference?

    GIS and CAD are both pieces of software that work with spatial information, but they’re designed for different jobs.

  • Which online mapping service offers CAD Exports?

    Architects, engineers, surveyors, planning consultants and developers often need mapping that can be brought into CAD software, used as a base for drawings, or shared with project teams in a format that fits existing design workflows.

  • Address Data vs Postcodes: What's the difference?

    Address data and postcodes are closely related, but they do different jobs: a postcode can usually get you close to the right place. Address data helps you identify the place itself.

  • PAS128 explained for property and infrastructure projects

    PAS 128 is the UK specification for detecting, verifying and locating underground utilities. In practical terms, it helps project teams understand how reliable utility information is, how it was gathered, and how far it can be trusted.

  • When should you order a Utility Search?

    The best time to order a utility search is usually before committing significant time or money to a site. For developers, that may be before acquisition. For consultants, it may be during feasibility or early design.

  • How Utility Searches reduce project risk

    For property, development and infrastructure projects, buried or overhead utilities can affect cost, design, safety and programme. Gas pipes, electricity cables, water mains, sewers, telecoms and fibre networks may all influence what can happen on a site, and where.

  • The cost of striking underground utilities: Why early searches matter

    An underground utility strike may involve electricity, gas, water, sewerage, telecoms, fibre or other buried infrastructure – anything that goes wrong, could be expensive, dangerous and disruptive.

  • How to assess environmental risk before buying land

    Assessing environmental risk before buying land is about reducing avoidable surprises. It helps you understand whether the site is suitable, whether extra costs may be likely, and whether the risk profile matches the opportunity.

  • What environmental reports are needed for development projects?

    The environmental reports needed for a development project depend on the site, the proposal and the local planning authority’s validation requirements.

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